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Do you ever feel like life is playing hide and seek, leaving you in a whirlwind of thoughts? Remember that shiny new diary you snagged on New Year's Day, only to abandon it faster than a hot potato come February?
Sound familiar?
Week Plan advises, "Planning out your week makes you a more productive and effective person." But hey, what's the point if it fizzles out after a couple of months? Well, many of you planner enthusiasts are missing a trick or two!
It's All in the Planner
Turns out, planners are as unique as snowflakes - it's not a one-size-fits-all situation, folks! According to the mighty Google Stats, a whopping 80% of planner fans prefer to wing it, while a whopping 93% still swear by good ol' paper over fancy planner apps. Yet, despite all this planner love, only 38% stick with it beyond year one.
The culprit? You're overdoing it!
That's right, you're squeezing so much stuff into that planner box that your poor brain is on high alert trying to remember it all, convinced you're going to blank out! Isn't the whole point of getting organized to lighten your mental load? Absolutely! Think about it - life is like a circus, and trying to cram it all into a tiny planner is like trying to fit an elephant into a teacup. It's time to declutter and let your brain breathe! I've got two nifty tricks up my sleeve to make it happen.
The Slash & Dash
This one's for the doodlers, the rebels of neat handwriting!
Get your colorful pens ready and draw a funky line through each day. Diagonal? Sure, why not! Let's make it fun.
The top half of the box? That's sacred ground for THE one thing you must do that day. Keep it simple, keep it bold!
Now, the bottom half? List two crucial tasks that lead to the top one. Fuel the car, grab a water bottle, or jot down that bus time and number - just the top TWO essentials.
Keep up the awesome work! Repeat this for the next six days and voilà ! Mission accomplished.
I can practically hear your brain shouting, "No way this is gonna cut it! What about the chaos of school pickups, the laundry mountain, and whipping up a gourmet dinner tonight?" But hey, chill out! Your brain's got this. It's a pro at juggling simple tasks since your first day at school. And if it can still recall every detail of that epic showdown with your folks at age 12, trust me, it's on top of things - this isn't a list, it's a master plan!
Ok, moving on to number two.
Spot & Flow
Actually, this little gem shares some similarities with past ventures you may have dabbled in. It revolves around preparing for the day ahead, needing a bit more TLC. But fear not, like The Slash & Dash , simplicity reigns supreme here too!
Let's kick off the fun starting from the weekend! Time to spotlight the star task - Grandma's Birthday! Then, in the box above, jot down two to-dos: a quick fix like washing your party outfit, and the main mission - find a rad gift for Grandma. Connect the dots with some arrows to keep us on track.
Zooming into the next day, repeat the drill! Shopping for Grandma and prepping your outfit calls for jotting down a shopping list and the star event a Shopping Trip - remember, this is a grand plan, not just a boring list, and lists are not for here! Link it up with an arrow to tomorrow's header.
Oh, look - Jimmy's got guitar practice this week! No sweat. Highlight that like we did with Grandma on the day - we’ll say Thursday, but let's save the fretting for later since it's still a couple of days away. Sneak in a reminder the day before for Jimmy to strum his stuff, and a celebratory pizza note for the day after - a reward for his rockstar performance, courtesy of the shopping trip we’ve already planned!
What's the deal with today, you wonder? Let's be real, you're totally winging it by now and likely have a clue about what's up. So, treat yourself to a coffee break and relax, knowing your week - maybe even the next - is all sorted. You can totally get a head start as far as you please, but hey, watch out for those unexpected curveballs life loves to throw your way!
Be Flexible
So, you’re rocking your planner like a pro and you can maintain it in 30 minutes or less so you’re far more likely to keep it up. The best part is, you’ve got the main events taken care of and your brain is free to keep track of the details. True, you might want to have a weekly focus or track a couple of habits and not every planner is set for that. You can definitely add these to the top of the page of any old planner though.  But, the Thistle and Bard: Magic Mirror Planner is perfectly designed for both of these methods with room to spare!
Remember the key to planning isn’t about fitting your entire life into a box, it’s about freeing up space so your brain can do its job more effectively.
I can’t wait to hear which of these two techniques you are going to use - or if you’ve got a method you think is better. Put those comments below so I can read them and send me a cheeky little heart if you enjoyed today’s blog. If you’ve been inspired to give this a go, you do not need to wait until next year or even September! The Magic Mirror Planner is un-dated with 52 weeks waiting for your most important tasks and is available from 14th August 2024.
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